Columbia University Somassundaran
This proposal is a collaborative (TIE) project between Columbia University (a research site of the I/UCRC for Particulates and Surfactants) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. The objectives of this joint research are very much in line with this Center's goals in the "green initiative" area.
This TIE project outlines research for the development of a pathway for producing commercial surfactants under anaerobic conditions, which is unique as most of the biosurfactant producers reported in literature are aerobic organisms. The proposed work will be extremely valuable for understanding of and optimization of structure/activity relationships. The thorough evaluation of the biosurfactants will make their use as cleansers and surface modification agents a viable application; thus, opening an environmentally-friendly, renewable source for surfactants currently generated from petroleum sources. The proposed work can be accomplished effectively given the expected good synergies between surface chemistry (Columbia University) and experiences in the area of microbial growth in confined, porous media in IIT (within the general area of civil and environmental engineering).
The information from this TIE project will have a broad impact on participating students, and should be useful to may industries: soil cleaning, oil spill cleaning, cosmetics, coating and mineral processing. This project will start a USA-India network; and, student and research exchange will be a plus. The Columbia group will continue to train women graduate and undergraduate students in the surface and colloidal science.
